Interlude of Memories
by enigma-kar
Summary: After the events of The Year That Never Was, Jack makes his way back to the Hub to find his team. Includes flashbacks during that year.


Interlude

Jack walked slowly across the Plas. It took a lot of will power not to look back.

He'd done it. He'd given up all of time and space. He'd given up the Doctor.

"_Well_," he though, smiling "_at least I left him voluntarily this time_."

And what had he given it all up for? That was a simple question; his own team of fighters.

His smile dropped and he stopped walking. The memories of 'The Year That Never Was' were still fresh in his mind. The memories… God it hurt to think about it. It would hurt for a long time.

_***flashback***_

Jack gasped as he was brought back to life for the 81st time; brought back into the world of pain, anguish and horror. His body had healed itself from the Master's latest torture instruments, but he was still broken. He'd be broken for such a long time.

For nearly six months, Jack had been tied up. His arms and legs bolted to the walls, unable to move. Spoon fed by one of the Master's slaves or, maybe, if he was lucky Tish. Even after being tortured to death day after day, it would still brighten his day to see Tish. It gave him hope. Hope that this nightmare would end when Martha returned. Hope that in the end everything would go back to normal.

The Master leered at him and clapped his hands together maniacally. "Oh yes!" his voice was cheerful. It was sick. "The Freak is back."

"And I'll keep coming back." Jack retorted.

The Master tutted. "Now, remember your manners, Freak."

"Why should I? You'd be a waste of my manners. You're not worth it." Jack replied, trying not to let any more anger overcome him.

The Master glared at Jack, who was sitting defiantly in his metal chair. "I wouldn't speak so fast, Jacky." He smirked.

Jack didn't reply.

The Master shrugged mockingly and turned his back. "Well I suppose if you don't want to know about your little gang…" he left it hanging, turning back around to see Jack's reaction.

Jack stared. "_Oh god please let them still be alive. Please let them all be ok. Please._" He though, closing his eyes in a silent prayer.

Unseen by Jack, the Master grinned. "Not so defiant now, are we?" he said.

Jack opened his eyes. "If you've done anything to them…"

"What are you gunna do?" The Master questioned. "Kill me? Oh, I'd like to see you try."

Jack refused to answer.

"Answer me, Freak!" the Master shouted, losing his temper with Jack and punching him in the face.

Blood sprayed across the already stained metal floor.

"That hurt." Jack growled. He spat the remaining blood at the Master. It splashed across his face.

Slowly the Master reached up and wiped the blood off with the back of his hand.

"Enough of this." He said steadily, holding back his anger. "Bring them in" he shouted, angling his face back towards the locked cell door, which opened instantaneously.

Ianto and Gwen were pushed into the cell. Both fell, unable to gain balance; they were handcuffed. Ianto had been punched in the eye. It was swollen shut and darkened bruises had already formed. His suit was in tatters, the jacket completely discarded and the white shirt beneath ripped and dirty. He was completely filthy but otherwise ok.

Gwen looked worse for ware. Her face was bloody and it looked like her nose was broken. Like Ianto, her clothes were also in tatters, but she, too, was still alive.

Jack allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief before fearing the worse. Owen and Tosh.

"Where are the others?" he demanded of the Master.

"Oh them." The Master casually said. "They were killed. Unfortunate really, I would have had fun torturing them, while you watched. Still, I suppose these two will have to do."

Jack screamed in pain and anger and grief. There was nothing he could do. Tosh and Owen were gone. Tears rolled down his face. He couldn't wipe them away.

"You bastard!" Ianto was screaming now. "You fucking bastard!"

Jack looked down at his lover; still kneeling on the floor.

"Yan…" he whispered.

"Ianto, Ianto." Gwen was hushing him.

"Oh Ianto." The Master was mocking him. "How right you are. I am a bastard."

Ianto took no notice of anyone. He continued to howl. Jack was now sobbing in grief. Gwen was continuing to shush Ianto, tears of her own running down her face. The Master was waiting patiently for everyone's attention. Too patiently, Jack realised, but before he could tell Ianto and Gwen to be quiet…

BANG!

The sudden sound of a shotgun. Gwen slumped back, a bullet wound to her temple. Dead.

Everyone was quiet in silent shock.

"Right," the Master broke the soundless room. "Now that I have your attention." He stopped, waiting for Jack or Ianto to begin yelling at him. They were silent.

"Ok." The Master wasn't fazed. "As I said, now that I have your attention, I would like to make an announcement." Again he waited for Ianto or Jack to butt it. They didn't.

"_Gwen!_" Jack's last thought was running circles around his head. "_They were all gone now. Only Ianto left. I don't have time to mourn. Gwen! I can't mourn. I have to concentrate on saving Ianto. Oh Gwen. I'm so sorry." _His thoughts were jumbled. He couldn't think straight. He'd just seen Gwen killed in cold blood right in front of his eyes. "_And Ianto, he'll suffer won't he. The Master will make him suffer just to break me. Tell him. Tell him how much he means to you. Tell him that you... Gwen!_"

Ianto's eyes were squeezed shut. "_Oh Gwen, I'm so sorry! It's my fault. I deserve to be dead._" His attempt at keeping his tears in was failing. They spilled unceremoniously down his cheeks. "_I didn't expect him to kill anyone that quickly. Even Owen and Tosh suffered. But Gwen…Oh I'm sorry. But I'm glad you didn't have to suffer. I know I will._" Ianto managed a weak smile at his friend's fortune. "_No torture. Oh you are so lucky._"

"My announcement is," Jack concentrated on the Master's voice. The Master's sickly sweet voice. "That I'm going to let the two of you spend some happy time together before I begin torturing you."

"You killed Gwen to tell us that?!" Ianto yelled.

"Yes, well there was no competing with your moaning. I had to do something to make you concentrate on me: your lord and master." He said with bravado.

"Fuck off!" Jack said.

"Remember what I said about manners, Mr. Harkness" the Master said cynically.

Neither Jack nor Ianto replied, so he called in one of his slaves to have Gwen's body removed.

"Do whatever you want with her." He said almost casually. "Don't forget to lock up the cell when you have removed her. I'm going to have a massage. Killing people always hurts my shoulder muscles." With one more maniacal smile towards Jack and Ianto, he disappeared. Gwen was taken away not long after.

Ianto spoke first, his voice surprisingly calm. "I'm sorry Jack."

"I know, Yan." Jack replied, his voice matching Ianto's calmness. "Me too."

"What is going to happen to us?"

"I don't know."

"How long have we got together?"

"I don't know."

"How did…"

"Stop asking me questions, Ianto!" Jack yelled, shocking Ianto lightly.

"I'm sorry sir." Ianto said, bowing his head.

Jack smiled slightly. "How many times have I told you not to call me sir?" his voice calm again.

"At least once more, sir." Ianto replied, looking up at his captain.

Jack smiled again at Ianto and he smiled back.

"Ianto, I just want to let you know that whatever happens…" he broke off and swallowed the lump now in his throat. "_It's now or never_" "Whatever happens, I love you." He paused briefly, but the words he had locked away inside him bubbled out. "It's just I never tell you, Yan. You mean so much to me. Everyone does...did…But you especially, and I never say it. I was so horrible to you before Lisa, but afterwards, you forgave me and showed me that it is possible to love again. You taught me to love again, Ianto."

"I know, Jack." He smiled, looking into the shining eyes of his lover. "I love you, too."

Jack smiled back, letting his eyes spill tears as Ianto struggled to get up and stumbled over to him, eventually embracing him into a hug.

"Oh, Yan." Jack murmured into Ianto's hair. "I'm so sorry for what is going to happen to you. But it's going to hurt."

"I know."

"You'll have to be strong."

Ianto nodded, taking in the scent of his lover for the last time before pulling back out of Jack's arms.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I'm sorry for what I'm about to do." Ianto said, his own eyes spilling tears.

Jack frowned. "Ianto, what…"

Ianto pulled a small pistol out of what appeared to be his underwear. "Small pocket in the lining of my trousers." Ianto explained. "I keep this in it all the time, just in case."

"Oh, Yan…" Jack said his voice filled with emotion as he suddenly knew what this was about.

"I guess the Master didn't have that neat piece of alien tech to find it on me and his slaves didn't search me to that extent."

Ianto paused and looked Jack in the eye. "I know you don't like watching those you love being tortured. I don't want to put you through that again."

"Ianto…" Jack protested; his voice breaking.

"Jack, please listen. I envy Tosh, Owen and Gwen; they died without going through torture. I don't want to put you through the pain. I don't want to be put through the pain." Ianto admitted.

"I'm sorry, Ianto. I'm sorry it has to end like this." Jack was filled with raw emotion, something Ianto had never seen in his Captain; something he never wanted to see in his captain. Jack was a lifeline for him. When Lisa had died, he had been overcome with grief, but it had been Jack who had brought him back. Jack who was always there. Jack who he thought would always be there; protecting everyone. Protecting him.

But that was not to be. Neither of them could protect the other anymore. This is what it had all come down to. The two of them locked up together in a horrific nightmare. Both full of grief and wanting release from it.

"_This will do that._" Ianto told himself "_This will be better in the long run. It will break Jack to watch me be tortured. I owe him that much. I have to kill myself._"

"_Ianto is right. I hate it that he is._" Jack thought, trying not to lose any more tears. "_Watching him being tortured will break me. I can't afford to tell the Master anything about the Doctor or myself, even if Martha does succeed. Oh, I am so sorry Ianto. I promise that one day, everything will be alright. You may not remember it being like this, Yan. But one day the world will be well again, and you will be able to go on with your life, completely oblivious to it all. Oh Ianto..._"

"I know Jack and I'm sorry too." Ianto said, drawing Jack back out of his thoughts. "But it's been fun; you and I."

Jack nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"I'll miss you, you know." Ianto cocked the pistol. "And I'll give the others your love."

Jack swallowed as Ianto drew the gun up to his head. Anything thing he was about to say was lost as the Master suddenly burst in. He had seen everything on the CCTV camera in the corner of Jack's cell. But he was too late.

Ianto pulled the trigger before Jack was able to close his eyes.

"Love you" he mouthed. Then he was gone. Gone, to a better place; a much better place.

Jack was oblivious to everything, except the body of Ianto Jones and the tears streaming down his cheeks.

The Master was yelling at a slave for not checking Ianto properly. Jack knew the slave would be killed later and pitied him. It was not long before the Master turned on him, spraying his face in spittle as he screamed.

"The fucking bastard killed himself! You are going to pay for this. Oh, Mr. Jones may have done you a favour, but you are really going to pay for it. Starting from now."

Darkness enveloped Jack as he was shot in the head.

Jack died for the 82nd time.

_***End Flashback* **_

Jack stood in the middle of the Plas, tears streaming down his cheeks.

He opened his eyes to an elderly lady hand in hand a small child.

"Are you alright, dear?" the lady asked, ignoring her nagging grandchild.

Jack managed a smile. "Yes, sorry, I was just remembering."

The grandmother smiled, understandingly. "I know." She said, before her and her grandchild walked off.

It was this strange and so human encounter that brought Jack back to the real world. He smiled. It was all over. Everything back was back to normal. He shook the images of Ianto and Gwen's bodies from his mind and tucked them away. He would try to never remember again. Nobody would remember. He wouldn't be able to tell a soul. He wouldn't be able to tell his team.

His team.

Jack wondered where they were. Wondered if they were back from the Himalayas yet. He hitched a smile on his face, wiped his wet cheeks and, hoping his eyes weren't too red, ran towards the small Tourist Information Shop.

It was closed.

"Damn it!" Jack muttered as he dug around in his coat pocket for the key.

He opened the door, shut it behind him and almost tripped as he eagerly ducked around the back of Ianto's desk to press the button which would open the secret door.

Jack raced down the corridor and opened the giant cog door. He breathed in the smell of the Hub.

Oh how it felt good to be home again. He even let out a laugh as he read a note written by Owen.

_Jack,_

_If you are bothered to come back and read this, we are in the Himalayas. Got this random phone call from the PM himself, bloody weird if you ask me. He wanted to send us there cos he reckons UNIT have found another rift, just like Cardiff's. Wanted us to check it out. _

_Anyway, just letting you know. Please hurry up and get back from wherever you've buggered off to, Ianto's moaning is driving us up the wall._

_Owen_

Ianto has scrawled a note at the bottom, obviously unbeknown to Owen.

_I have not been moaning. Owen is a lying twat. Thought I do hope you get back soon. Ianto._

Jack smiled and then yawned; he suddenly realised how tired he was. Sighing, he booted up the computer and silently deleted any record of him being here. If he was going to sleep then he wanted to do so peacefully without interruption.

Yawning again, Jack turned everything off, replaced the note and headed to his small bunker. Despite what Ianto said, Jack was sure it was big enough for two. Shaking his head, Jack crawled into bed, without even bothering to take his jacket off.

*****

"Well, Jack isn't back yet." Ianto said a he screwed up Owen's note and threw it into the bin. He did so quickly so nobody saw what he had written.

It was four in the afternoon and they had just got back from the airport.

"I'm not surprised." Tosh said. "Well the PM turned out to be a nutcase and killed the US President. I bet you anything Jack is helping clear it all up."

"Yeah because Mr. Saxon turned out to be an alien who has an obsession with being all ruling and powerful and Jack was the only one who could stop him." Owen added in sarcastically.

Gwen raised her eyebrows incredulously.

"Yeah and it was really Jack who sent us to the Himalayas, just so we wouldn't get hurt in the process." Tosh said, trying to mimicking Owen.

"Yeah right, Tosh as if Jack actually cares." Owen said harshly before retiring to the autopsy room.

Gwen sighed. Would he ever realise that Tosh was madly in love with him?

"He'll never realise, will he?" Ianto said, reading her thoughts.

Gwen smiled sadly and shook her head. "No. But we can only hope."

The team set about bringing Torchwood Cardiff back to life after their trip away. Ianto was armed with a duster and cleaning cloth, Tosh was rebooting the computers, Gwen was down in the vaults checking on all the aliens and Owen wasn't doing anything. Typical.

It was nearly 8.00 pm when everything was done and everyone declared themself tired and left. They bade each other goodnight and headed their own separate ways. If the rift was to bring anything through then they all would be notified via mobile.

*****

Gwen had just settled into bed beside Rhys when her mobile rang.

"What is it now?" Rhys muttered, before being shushed by Gwen.

"Just when I though…" she muttered, picking it up. It was Tosh.

"Report's of a blowfish like creature driving dangerously in a sports car. I told the police we would deal with it. I'm in the SUV with Owen. We are outside now."

"Ok, I'll be there soon." Gwen said before hanging up. It was going to be a long night.

"You only just got back from your last police investigation. Where was it? Asia or someplace, yeah?" Rhys was asking.

"Yeah. Listen, I'll be back later tonight, darling, ok." Gwen said, before changing into some more suitable clothes and slinging her jacket on. "Don't wait up for me, get some sleep." She kissed his forehead before running out the door.

"Where's Ianto?" Gwen asked as he slammed the door shut behind her.

"We'll pick him up now." Tosh said from the backseat. "He should be ready, I called him after you."

"He'd better be ready, I'm leaving with him whether he's got his suit ironed or not!" Owen exclaimed from behind the wheel.

As it turned out, Ianto was already waiting on the curb outside his flat. Wearing, as always a freshly pressed suit, tie and all.

"How the hell do you manage to do that?" Owen asked, shaking his head.

"Do what?" Ianto asked innocently.

"Nothing."

"Ok, I think I've got a track of him." Tosh announced as soon as Ianto was seated beside her and Owen was speeding off.

"You think?" Owen asked, sceptically.

"Just take the next right." She replied to Owen.

The SUV speed around the corner and onto an empty stretch of road. Empty bar for a single sports car stopped at the lights.

"That him, Tosh?" Owen asked and put his foot down without waiting for an answer.

"Can't be sure. This tech is playing up." She hit the portable PC with her hand and the screen flickered. "The date is reading a year in the future." She shrugged.

"Great, just what we need." Owen said sarcastically.

"Quick, ask her!" Ianto said, gesturing to an elderly lady on the curb, ahead of them. Gwen looked around at him and opened her mouth as if to argue with him.

"We don't have time to argue guys." Owen said, applying the breaks and pulling up beside her.

Gwen rolled down the window. "Excuse me; have you seen a blowfish driving a sports car?" The women did not look at all surprised when she pointed in the direction they were already heading.

"Thank you." Gwen replied rather seriously.

Owen was already driving off and in hot pursuit of the blowfish in the sports car.

*****

Jack awoke to silence.

"_Great,_" he thought, his spirits sinking "_They aren't back yet._"

He looked at his watch. Was it 11.30 at night or in the morning? He didn't know. Deciding to get up, Jack showered and dressed before moving into the central Hub area; it was clean. Cleaner than when he had left it.

"_So they are back_." Jack thought as him mood lightened considerably. "_Just not here_."

Frowning, Jack booted up the computer and found the latest rift activity spike. It looked like Tosh had already told the police they were dealing with it. Jack's mouth dropped when he looked at the footnote on the document. "Strange human/blowfish reported driving dangerously at 11.00 pm." He'd met this species before. Must have been one of his first assignments for Torchwood. Sighing, he quickly turned the computer off before racing out of the Hub to assist his team. He knew how to deal with this species; they did not.

*****

Owen had driven like a maniac, much to Gwen's disgust, to catch up with the blowfish. Tosh had got her laptop out and attempted to analyse the aliens DNA, while Ianto loaded guns beside her.

"_What a wonderful welcome back to Cardiff present._" He thought, tucking his own, now loaded, gun into his suit pocket. "_A blowfish. Of all the things that could have come thought, we get a blowfish. What am I doing with my life?_" Ianto thought, not for the first time. He scowled silently as Owen made a comment about Jack not being here to help. "_I wish he would stop being an ass. It's hurting Gwen so much._ _I wish Jack would come back, though. Where could he be? Doesn't he realise how much we all miss him, how much I miss him._" Ianto shook his head, trying to rid himself of thoughts about Jack. "_Stop thinking about him, Ianto. You have to worry about what is going on here and now. Nothing else._" Ianto sighed briefly, before the SUV came to a sudden stop.

They had caught the blowfish up.

Gunshots alerted the team to a nearby house. They stormed the place and found the blowfish holding a woman hostage, while her husband lay of the floor, with a bullet wound.

"Shit." Muttered Owen. It was going to be hard to get out of this without Jack.

*****

Using the SUV's onboard tracking system, Jack followed his team to a house in Cardiff's suburbia, using Torchwood's back-up vehicle. The SUV was already outside and the house was quiet.

Jack cursed and silently crept through the luckily, unlocked back door. He hid behind a large wardrobe and listened as the blowfish taunted his team. Taunted them about not have a captain to lead them anymore. Jack squeezed his eyes shut and regretted running away from them without even a goodbye. He hoped they would understand. They had to.

"…What happens if I kill her first? Can you do it?" the blowfish mocked Ianto, who gun hand was quivering slightly. Slightly enough, however, to kill the women if he shot. Jack knew this, and took the opportunity as the blowfish glanced over to Gwen. Lining up his Webley, Jack shot, the bullet passing cleanly through the fishes' head. It killed him instantly.

Jack saw Ianto tilt his head to one side and knew the Welshman was frowning. Jack fixed a smile on his face and tried very hard not to picture Ianto with a gun to his head.

Ianto, Gwen, Owen and Tosh all turned their head around and stared, shocked, at Jack, who grinned.

"Hey kids, d'you miss me?" Jack said, before chuckling.

So begins Torchwood Season 2.


End file.
